The Big Red (White and Blue) One

I love the 4th of July, the One day everyone shares the same team colors and celebrates the same big win! Happy and fun, from small town parades to big city celebrations, pretty much everyone celebrates the 4th the same way. I'm not sure we can say that about any other holiday on our American calendar. Bill and I almost had our first date on the 4th of July but he was delayed on an Army exercise and we ended up going out the following evening, July 5, 1981. Wow...and I digress, as usual!

(Another Pinterest photo, I'm going to do this someday....)

I'm very proud of the United States of America, proud to be a citizen, proud of what we stand for. In celebration of the day I want to share the following with you. It is a letter to the editor of the Savannah newspaper written by my brother-in-law in 2003 shortly after Bill jumped into Northern Iraq with the 173d Airborne Brigade.

Each of us has chance to display our heroism

There was a wonderful commentary in the April 14 Morning News by Carol Megathlin, "Tell your men, Col. Mayville, that we are proud of them." It was wonderful and very appropriate.

I am sure Ms. Megathlin had no idea that Col. Mayville has a brother here in Savannah. I am his younger brother by one year, and we are very close. I am extremely proud of my big brother, but it never occurred to me that anyone else knew of him or his remarkable men.

We hear stories every day on the news about acts of incredible heroism by the young men and women in uniform. Pfc. Jessica Lynch is truly a hero, so are the men who rescued her. We now know that seven new heroes are on their way home -- they were once POWs.

I watched our American soldiers rescue an Iraqi woman on a bridge during a fire fight. There are countless other stories we have heard. But for so many others, we have not heard their stories of heroism. I knew about my brother and I am happy that Ms. Megathlin wrote her commentary. I thank her.

Let me speak, though, for my brother. He would tell you the same thing that Pfc. Lynch or any of the freed POWs will say. He may be a hero to all of us, but he sees himself as a normal American.

He would say that within each of us back home is some great act of heroism that will someday be called upon. Don't miss the call. Go give blood, sign your organ donor card, become a volunteer firefighter, pick up a hammer and spend time on Habitat for Humanity.

Could you help the stranded motorist or buy a raffle ticket for the school? Do your job and then help a neighbor. These are the things a hero would do. And my brother would say that this is just normal.

Bill is my hero.

CHRISTOPHER MAYVILLE

(1961-2012)

Savannah

(Thank you, MANning the Homefront, for posting this so I could borrow it)

Find a way to be a hero today and every day.
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." ~JFK

I am grateful to those who fought for and continue to fight for the Freedoms we enjoy. I am grateful to those who take those Freedoms and make our Nation a better place.

Happy Independence Day